The Understorey, Book One of The Leaving Series (37 page)

My dad woke up long enough to join us in
following the entertaining show.

“I think you might have obsessive compulsive
disorder Maddy!” I teased.

Maddy furrowed her eyebrows at me but for
only a moment, it was Christmas morning after all and I wasn’t
going to ruin her fun I could see that when her eyes softened. She
immediately rummaged over the remaining gifts and handed us a gift
a piece. She knelt on the floor at the coffee table and ate the
cookies we left for Santa. She’d known he didn’t exist for years
now. It was tradition and boy was my family traditional in every
sense of the word. I didn’t mind though, I liked consistency. A
result of having a scientifically inclined way of thinking, or
maybe it was the fact that everything in my life at the moment was
inconsistent
and chaotic, accept for family and my Jules. I
was looking for a constant, something to ground me before I went
insane. I neatly unwrapped my first gift. It was from my mom and
dad. Boxers.
    “Figures, you’d open that one first,” my mom
laughed.
    “But it’s what I’ve been really wanting. Thanks
mom. Thanks dad. Now, if I get into a car accident and need to go
to the hospital I won’t be embarrassed as mom always says because
as we all know the last thing a paramedic needs to be worrying
about is my old underwear. God forbid they be distracted by worn
out undergarments.”
    “Very funny Elliott,” she said. “Here.”

She threw a gift on my lap and I began to
unfold the wrapping as neatly as before. Maddy was growing really
impatient. She didn’t like the way I unwrapped gifts. When it was
all said and done, I’d gotten everything I asked for, which was
mainly a bunch of music.
    “Thanks mom,” I said, kissing her cheek.
    “Thanks dad,” I said, hugging him.
    Later in the morning, I was starting to get
antsy. I hadn’t really talked to Jules since the evening before at
church and we were pretty involved with our own families. During
the night, we just slept. I mean, it’s not like we were awake or
anything. Anyway, every now and then I’d lean forward in the pew
and catch a peek at her smiling and staring through the corner of
her eye.  

Afterwards, in the youth hall, the entire
church convened for a Christmas dinner and that was the little
contact I had with her. I decided that I’d call her and wish her
family a happy Christmas and see how she was. I picked up the phone
and dialed her number. Her dad answered.

“Merry Christmas Mr.Jacobs!”

“Merry Christmas!”

“How has your morning been so far?” I asked
that out of politeness, not that I wasn’t genuinely interested. I
just wanted to talk to Jules, badly.

“It’s been really pleasant. Did you want to
speak to Jules?”

Thank God he said that.

“Sure, thanks. Tell everyone from
Pennsylvania I said Merry Christmas!”

“Hello,” said a sleepy Jules.

“Not long,” I heard Jules’ dad say.

“Tired love?” I asked.

“Yeah, I slept so badly last night even with
you on the floor next to me,” she barely whispered the last
part.

“I’m so sorry babe.”

“It’s okay. No big deal. That’s what naps are
for.”

“Alright, I’ll let you go. I know your dad
wants you to join them.”

“Wait,” she said.

“Yeah babe?”

“Nothing,” she said.

“What sweetheart?” I insisted.

“Umm. Are we going to see each other later?
I’d like to ask you my question.”

“Oh! Well, I don’t know Jules. I’ll see if my
mom will give me a couple of hours at two o’clock before we go to
my grandma’s. Can you steal away then?”

“I’ll try. Give me a ring if you’re not able
to and I’ll do the same if I can’t. Otherwise, see you at the rock
bridge at two?”

“See you then. I love you Jules, Happy
Christmas.”

“I love you too Elliott. Merry
Christmas.”

I hung up the phone. It was enough to tide me
over until two and I could breathe a sigh of relief. There was
something about that phone call that didn’t set easily with me. It
was the way she hesitated after she asked me to wait. Maybe I was
reading too much into the inflection of her voice but I was already
on edge as it was and this kind of stuff drove me insane.
Just
wait until two
, I thought,
she’s with her family. Jesse
wouldn’t dare step foot in or around her house with them
awake.

    “Hey ma’?”
    “Yes Elliott?” She asked, helping my little
sister put together some ridiculous Barbie house Jules’ Aunt Isabel
had gotten her.
    “Can I see Jules’ at two? Before we head out to
grandma’s and granddad’s?”
    “Sure, I don’t see why not. Just make sure
you’re back by four thirty, we leave at five.”
    “Yes, ma’am. Thanks mom.”
    “Mm, hmm.”

I headed to my room and got dressed. We ate
lunch at one and I piddled around until half an hour ‘til and just
couldn’t sit around any longer. I decided to leave early and just
hang out, enjoy the cool air, and wait for Jules but when I got
there Jules apparently had been there since one.

    “If I’d known that Jules,
I would have been out here sooner.”
I grabbed her face and kissed her glossy lips.
    “I called but no one answered,” she
offered.
    “Oh, it must have been when mom was running the
blender. She was making Maddy an orange smoothie.”
    “Ohhhhh.”
    “Well! It’s time for our own gifts!”

I climbed up onto our natural rock bridge and
dragged Jules with me. She had already set out our blanket. The
stone was dry, it hadn’t snowed since yesterday and the afternoon
sun melted all the wet snow and dried it. I climbed into our
cocooned blanket and she squeezed in next to me.

    “Elliott?” Her voice
trembled.
    “Yes love?”
    “Yesterday I drove to the church on my own
because we were running late from Charleston. Did I tell you
that?”
    “No,” I shook my head, wondering where she was
going with it.
    “After church and dinner, after you walked me to
my car and said goodbye, I got in and turned the key in the
ignition, and when I went to put Carmen in reverse I noticed a
wrapped package in the passenger seat.”
    “Yes?” I said.
    “It read, ‘From Elliott’.” I froze. “I knew
automatically that it wasn’t from you. First of all, because it
looked like it had been wrapped by a guy and I know you get your
mom to wrap all of your gifts and second because we agreed on our
question gift.”
    “Where is it?” I demanded.
    “Here,” she took her messenger bag and removed
the thermos, some Christmas cookies, and a wrapped square box. “I
couldn’t open it. I was too afraid. In fact, I don’t even want you
to open it.”
    “Jules, honey, I have to.”
    “No you don’t actually,” she said. “Actually,
you could just throw it in the creek and be done with it for good.
The only reason I’m telling you is because I can’t keep the
knowledge of the things they do locked up inside anymore or I’ll go
mental.”
    “I’m glad you told me. Maybe we should take it
to Danny and have him open it,” I suggested to make her feel
better. I could see that it did. The anxiety melted off her fair
skin and some color was brought back into her paled cheeks.
    “Thank you Elliott. Now, throw it over there so
I don’t have to look at it anymore. I refuse to let him ruin our
day.” She grabbed the thermos and poured hot chocolate in two mugs.
“Cookie?”
    “Yes, please. Thank you sweetheart.” I took a
bite, “Wow! Did you make these?”
    “I did. Do you like them? They’re a Jacobs
tradition. Grams just taught me the recipe this morning.”
    “Like them? I’m thinking of stealing the one out
of your hand.”
She laughed like she hadn’t in a very long time. I missed it. I was
determined to fix it.
    “Oh Elliott! I can’t wait to ask you my
question, but you first,” she requested.
    I was happy to oblige, “Okay,” I reluctantly put
down my cookie and mug and dusted the gingerbread off my hands.
“Jules, I would like you to help me sell my bird houses again and I
don’t want you to ask me why. Will you do this with me?”
She stared at me strangely.
    “You know we won’t make enough in time for the
trip right?”
    “I know.”
    “Okay,” she sighed. “And I can’t ask you why?”
She asked. When I shook my head, she squealed in mock frustration,
“I’m dying to find out why you want to do this. I can only imagine!
I’m going to conjure up all sorts of strange things as your
motivation, but I promise. I promise I won’t ask why.”
I felt incredibly empowered. My motivations were my own, the money
had to sit there and I couldn’t wait to begin saving.
    “You’re turn,” I said, excited for her
question.
    “You’ve made me rethink my question now Elliott.
What a strange request. I feel like torturing you with a similarly
vague question.”
    “You can ask me what you’ve planned or you can
ask me something off the cuff. I’m satisfied to say yes to any
request since you’ve so selflessly agreed to mine.”
    “Well that was sweet,” she puckered her bottom
lip. “Okay, I guess I’ll ask my original question. Though, It’s
truly not very
original
,” she confessed, “but I’ve wanted it
for months now.”
    “Okay,” I sat up and readied myself.
    “How much time do we have left before you have
to leave?” She asked.
    “That’s your question? It’s not even a yes or no
question,” I teased.
    “Hush, seriously, how much time?”
    “Two and a half hours.”
    “Okay,” she calculated in her head, “it’ll have
to do.”
    “I’m dying here Jules!”
    She grabbed both of my hands and leaned into my
ear. “I’m embarrassed to say this too loudly or look into your face
for that matter, but,” she whispered, “will you kiss me again, the
way you did that night in your truck? For the next two hours and
twenty-nine minutes? I promise we won’t take it far.”

My throat began to burn for her and my heart
had already started to race. My next move was the answer she was
waiting for. I kissed her lips softly and peeled her coat off of
her shoulders. I continued to kiss her and did the same with my own
jacket. Though the temperature outside was freezing, our connection
made it feel like a warm summer’s day. I laid her gently beside me
on the blanket and covered us both up.

    “This isn’t just a
Christmas present for you Jules,” I lazily whispered, keeping my
eyes closed, trying to focus my words. The heat made me sleepy. It
had a dream like after-effect. “It definitely benefits me as
well.”
    “Does that mean I get another question? One that
only benefits me?” She giggled, slowly slurring her words
together.

I didn’t have time to answer because her lips
stopped mine. I would have happily given her another question, ten
more questions, if all of them had been like this. This envelopment
with Jules smothered all lingering agony from the wanting that had
these past few weeks sat so stagnant in my heart. It was as if I
had been wandering through the Sahara with a canteen brimming with
water and only allowed myself to drink one tablespoon a day though
my body suffered for gallons.

I scorched myself, on purpose. I had recently
come to the realization that the thirst was intolerable. It was the
reason I asked her my question. My query was a cleverly disguised
ruse. The money was a down payment. It was to be for a wedding.
Ours. All I had to do was buy her the ring and convince her the
timing was right. Not that hard right?

    When my mind and body felt
as satisfied as I was going to allow it to be, we continued to lay
side by side taking in the other’s face. Hers was flawless,
blindingly beautiful fair skin, rosy pink cheeks, large curls ran
throughout her long raven hair.
    “My God, you are so beautiful Jules,” I
declared.
    “Thanks you Elliott,” she said and kissed my
forehead, nose, then lips.
    I pulled my pocket watch out to see the time,
“Oh crap!”
    “What is it?” She asked.
    “It’s five fifteen Jules. My family was supposed
to leave for my grandma’s at five. I’m in
deep.”   

We gathered the blankets and I towed her
behind me as I raced for my truck. I kissed her goodbye and
followed her back into town. When she went left and I went right we
both waved at the other. I pulled up to my house and thankfully
they didn’t even notice I was late as they were running behind
themselves.

    “What’s wrong with your
hair?” Maddy asked.
    “What?” I ran to the hall mirror and ran my
fingers through the disheveled mess that was my hair.
Why didn’t Jules say something?
She’s such a
troublemaker.    
   
”You need a haircut son,” my dad said
taking packages out to the car.
    “I kind of like it long like that,” my mom
admitted. “I think Jules does too.” She winked at me.

We arrived at my grandma’s house to open
arms. She was a sweetheart of a woman. Granddad was in his lounger
with the largest smile on his face. His hip hurt too badly to stand
up for a hug so we all went to him.

We ate dinner at grandma’s and granddad's
once a week, every week but they greeted us with such fervor each
time. It was as if we were returning to them after a long
absence.

We opened gifts, played games, laughed, ate,
and sat around. I was very careful to make sure that everyone was
content and having a good time before I took Danny out to my
parents’ car to show him Jesse’s
gift.
I didn’t want people
wondering.

    “Hey, Danny?” I
asked.   
    “Yeah Elliott? What’s up?”
    “I have something I want to show you. I need
your opinion on what we should do.”
    “Can’t it wait Elliott? It is Christmas.”
    “I don’t think it should.”
He looked annoyed but got up anyway. My mother’s eyes followed me
as I lead him to the car. I opened the back passenger door and
pulled out my bag. I handed him the gift.
    “From Elliott,” he read.
    “It’s not from me,” I revealed. “Actually, Jules
found it in the passenger seat of her
locked
car on
Christmas Eve after church.”
    “You didn’t open it?” He asked.
    “No, I thought it would be best to wait for you
to look at it.”
    “Wow,” he said, surprised. “What amazing self
control.”
Ha
! Y
ou have
no
idea!
    “Yeah. What should we do?”
    “I think you and I should take a quick ride to
my office and dust it for fingerprints.”
Yes!
I thought.
Finally, he’s going down!
But Jesse
was no fool and there was potential for nothing to be found on it
at all.
    “I’ll run in and tell mom that we’ll be right
back.”
    We rode to the station in absolute silence. The
tires crushed the piled snow against the railroad ties and his
headlights produced foggy beams that traced along the red paint of
the tiny shack that was the sheriff’s office. He unlocked the door
and stomped the extra snow off his boots before stepping onto the
creaky wood floor.
    “Dang Danny, this place is a regular haunted
house in the dark.”
    He laughed, “Yeah.” He flipped the lights on,
“it also looks like one in the light.”
We both laughed and he lead me to a makeshift lab covered in
dust.
    “Been awhile?” I asked.
    “Of course, not much of a need for it you know?
It’s kind of nice to shake off the old cobwebs though.”